2012 Children’s Gift Guide – 100 Gift Ideas
Compiled by Janice Hands
We know your youngsters have provided you with a list of
must-have holiday gifts, and you’ll do your best to fulfill at least a few of
their wishes. But, everyone loves surprises. Why not consider giving them at
least one something totally new and unexpected. One hundred of the latest in
children’s toys, books, and electronics are described below. Take a moment to
look them over. You’re sure to find some interesting items to round out even
the most specific wish list.
Be sure to scroll down and check out the helpful sidebars,
including “Bargain Hunter’s Websites” for the word on sites that will help save
you bucks, and “Smart Holiday Spending” full of shopping advice from Consolidated
Credit Counseling Services, Inc.
Have a great holiday!
Suggestions are arranged by category. Within the
categories, items are arranged according to age, youngest to oldest. Suggested ages were not available for all
products; when provided, they have been included. Prices listed are
manufacturers’ suggested retail prices, provided several months prior to the
publication of this guide. Baltimore’s Child cannot be responsible for price or
availability changes.
Looking Forward to the Holidays
Even the youngest tot can learn to light the Menorah with My
First Menorah. This soft, plush Menorah
holds nine colorful fabric candles that your youngster can add one-by-one
nightly. A great way to pass on Chanukah traditions. Ages 6 mos.-up. $34.95.
One Step Ahead catalog. 800-274-8440, onestepahead.com.
The story of the first Christmas Day comes alive with My
First Nativity Set. Perfect for tiny
hands, the fabric stable houses soft figurines, some of which are finger
puppets. Included are Mary, Joseph, the baby in the manger, the three kings, a
shepherd, sheep, cattle, and even a camel. An angel and star hover overhead.
Ages 6 mos.-up. $29.95. One Step Ahead catalog. 800-274-8440, onestepahead.com.
Your little one will have a great time anticipating
Christmas as he plays with the Little People Santa’s North Pole Cottage. This holiday playset features two floors of hands-on fun with Santa, Mrs. Claus,
and even kittens in the kitchen. The Christmas tree lights up and plays holiday
music. Ages 1-up. $48. Fisher-Price catalog exclusive. 800-747-8697,
fisher-pricestore.com.
Maybe your family will be lucky enough to attend a tree
lighting event this holiday season. Your youngster will be especially excited
about the trip after playing with the Little People Tree Lighting in Discovery
Park playset. The set includes a tree with
lights and holiday music; a skating pond with sledding hill; a snack stand with
lamp post and bench; three Little People figures; a horse and carriage; snow
saucer; and a three-piece snowman to build. Ages 1-up. $25. Fisher-Price
catalog exclusive. 800-747-8697, fisher-pricestore.com.
‘Tis the season for The Nutcraker—in dance, music, and
décor. Your youngster will enjoy decorating for the holidays with the Classic
Wooden Nutcracker Kit. The kit includes a 9-inch
tall wooden nutcracker and everything needed to decorate it—white “hair,”
rhinestones, stickers, nontoxic acrylic paints, brushes, glitter glaze, and
glue. A great seasonal project for your young artist! Ages 5-up. $21.95. Young
Explorers catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
An Elf Magic Elf is sure to add magic to your preparation for the
holiday season. Visit www.elf-magic.com, choose a special North Pole elf for
your child, and he or she will arrive on your doorstep, ready to make mischief
and charm your youngster. Each evening, your special magic elf will hide in a
different place (with your help, of course), ready for your child to find the
next morning. (The elves are especially pleased to hide in the freezer – it
reminds them of home!) During the day, your youngster will enjoy playing with
the elf—she can even change her clothes, if she’d like, with items from the
Forever Elf Fashion Collection. You’ll find Elf Magic’s Hanukkah
Helpers online as well. All ages. Elves
and Hanukkah Helpers, $29.95. Fashion Collection items, $17-$20. 877-353-6244.
Make room on your fridge for this Magnetic Countdown
Calendar that will keep your kids counting
the days until Christmas. This is a 5-piece fir tree with 24 colorful ornaments
for each day of December and a bright shining star to add to the top on
Christmas Day. Let the anticipation begin! All ages. $4.95. The Lakeside
Collection catalog. 847-444-3150, www.lakeside.com.
Baby & Toddler
You never know what you’ll find inside the colorful What’s
Inside? toy box. From squeaky frog and
silky fish, to a butterfly with crinkly wings, there are ten different objects
inside the seven-inch square plush box. The four-inch opening makes it easy for
your little one to reach in anwww.ttgo.comd discover the fun inside. Ages infant-4 yrs.
$39.99. Toys to Grow On catalog. 800-987-4454,.
Your tot will have a great time playing with this most
unusual stack toy. The Elephant Musical Stack & Play features a tower with lots of colorful soft-textured
pieces that babies can take apart and stack together again. A friendly
electronic elephant atop the tower giggles and speaks, as lights blink and
music plays. Ages 6 mos.-up. $34.95. Young Explorers catalog. 800-239-7577,
youngexplorers.com.
The Play-n-Go from
Star Kids Products will keep your baby happily occupied on the road or in the
air. This portable entertainment center is designed to be used on high chairs
and airplane tray tables. In addition, it fits snugly onto the Snack
& Play Travel Tray for use on the go in car or stroller. The Play-n-Go
features a peek-a-boo mirror, a squeaky and crinkly toy, mesh pockets,
removable shapes, and more options for your baby or toddler to enjoy. Ages 6-24
mos. Play-n-Go $24.99. Snack & Play Travel Tray $19.99. www.starkidsproducts.com.
The Elefun Busy Ball Popper from Playskool features all the fun of the original Busy Ball Popper
in the shape of a colorful little elephant. Pop the balls into the elephant’s
ears and see where they reappear—popping out of his trunk, or rolling into his
belly. Sure to have your little one giggling and grinning from ear to ear. Ages
9 mos.-up. $29.99. Target, Toys R Us, amazon.com, hasbrotoyshop.com.
Just like Mommy’s, My First Purse has all the accessories for lots of pretend play.
This colorful, soft-sculpture purse comes with plush smartphone, key ring with
squeaker, flower-shaped mirror, play lipstick, coin purse, and two pretend
money pieces. Ages 12 mos.-up. $7.95. The Lakeside Collection catalog.
847-444-3150, www.lakeside.com.
Your toddler will have hours of Toy Story fun with the Little People Buzz Lightyear &
Spaceship and the Little People Woody & RC racer. Buzz’s spaceship makes engine sounds, has rocket
lights, and features fun movie phrases from Buzz, Woody, and aliens. There is a
command center, and wings slide out when it’s time for flight. Woody’s racing
car features a spot in the driver’s seat for Woody, engine sounds, and movie
phrases from favorite Toy Story characters. Ages 1 1/2-5. $25
each. Fisher-Price catalog. 800-747-8697, fisher-pricestore.com.
Cuddly Friends
Now your little one can
snuggle right up to Sweetpea Sue, Squacky, CowBella, and Apollo with these plush
Pajanimals, the sweet characters from the
Sprout series. Maybe your tot will even look forward to bedtime with one or
more of these friends by his side. They are available in nine-inch and 15-inch
sizes. Ages 18 mos.-up. Nine-inch $10.99; 15-inch $19.99. target.com,
walmart.com.
This little Doodle Bear
invites your child’s creativity right on her cuddly body. She comes with two
dual-tipped washable markers, featuring a drawing tip at one end and a stamper
design at the other; and a stencil with three shapes to trace. Your little
artist can decorate Doodle Bear, and then you can machine wash it for a fresh
canvas. Ages 3-up. $20. Fisher-Price catalog. 800-747-8697,
fisher-pricestore.com. Also available, Doodle Bear Babies that include an adorable puppy, kitty, and bunny,
complete with a baby bottle and washable marker. Ages 3-up. $8 each.
Fisher-Price catalog. 800-747-8697, fisher-pricestore.com.
Oh! You Beautiful Doll
Maybe you remember the Cabbage Patch Kids from your
childhood. Your child can welcome one of the Cabbage Patch Kids Babies into the family. Each soft, cuddly baby comes in a
removable pajama or onesie outfit with matching blanket, along with a special
CPK cabbage leaf-shaped bottle and pacifier. A variety of hair and eye colors
as well as ethnicities is available. And of course, a birth certificate with a
one-of-a-kind name and a birth date, as well as adoption papers are also
included. Ages 2-5. $24.99. Target, Toys R Us.
Doll dress-ups are endless fun for your young designer with
the Color & Cuddle Washable Doll.
This machine-washable, 16-inch soft doll comes with four washable markers, two
dresses and a pair of overalls. Select and color the perfect outfit for the
day’s activities and, after washing, create a new ensemble for tomorrow. Ages
3-up.
$19.95. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 800-468-7386,
www.store.metmuseum.org.
These magnetic dress-up dolls come with their own dollhouse,
making play with them twice the fun. Included with the Magnetic Dress Up
Dollhouse are four magnetic dolls, their
pets, and 130 outfit pieces—enough outfits to make these dolls very
well-dressed indeed. Ages 3-up. $49.99. Constructive Playthings catalog.
800-832-0572, www.cptoys.com.
Recall the timeless tale with the There Was an Old Lady
Doll & CD. This ol’ gal has a tummy
pouch under her bright red dress that holds a miniature collection of all that
she swallows—a cow, bird, spider, cat, dog, goat, horse and of course, the fly!
Your youngster will get a kick out of listening to the CD while playing with
the doll and exploring her unusual diet. Ages 5-up. $36.95. Young Explorers
catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
All Booked Up!
Music and art go beautifully together in these book and CD
sets from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Children’s Songs Book and CD features 40 classic children’s songs paired with
works from the Museum’s collection by Renoir and others. Songs are recorded on
the included CD. Your child will sing along while learning to recognize some
famous works of art. Ages 2-up. The Lullabies: Songbook and CD pairs 37 best-loved lullabies with works of art by
Cassatt, Van Gogh, and others. Ages newborn-up. $29.95 each. $44.95 both sets.
800-468-7386, www.store.metmuseum.org.
Your tot is sure to enjoy Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn’t
Fit, the delightful tale by Catherine
Rayner of a moose who is simply too big for the book. He shifts and shimmies,
and even with the help of his chipmunk friend, he just can’t seem to fit inside
its pages. See how he resolves this most distressing problem! Ages newborn-up.
$14.95. Cricket catalog. 800-821-0115, www.cricketmag.com.
Your child will feel special each time he hears the charming
rhymes of On the Night You Were Born by
Nancy Tillman. You can celebrate his birth together as the moon smiles, polar
bears dance, and the wind and rain whisper the child’s sweet name. Ages
newborn-up. $16.95. Cricket catalog. 800-821-0115, www.cricketmag.com.
For a super spectacular pop-up book, invite your child to
leaf through DC Super Heroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern,
and all the DC favorites are featured in over 25 impressive pop-ups. Some added
surprises include a light-up Bat Signal and a twirling Lasso of Truth. Ages
3-up. $29.99.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 800-468-7386,
www.store.metmuseum.org.
Find out how the dinosaurs celebrated the holidays in the Dinosaur
Train: Ride the Holiday Train lift-the-flap
board book. Straight from the popular TV show, Buddy and his friends travel to
the North Pole for the winter solstice where the Pteranodon family builds snow
dinosaurs, plays a prehistoric game of ice hockey, and makes new friends. Over
45 flaps hide lots of surprises for little ones to discover. Ages 3-up. $9.99.
amazon.com.
Can you believe that Waldo of Where’s Waldo fame is 25 years
old? To help celebrate, your youngster might like Where’s Waldo? The Search
for the Lost Things, a compilation of
spot-the-difference puzzles, mazes, memory games, word games, doodles, tangled
line teasers, and more. This book is full of activities to keep her busy for
hours. Ages 7-10. $12.99. Barnes & Noble, amazon.com.
Promising “1,000 wild & wacky facts & photos!” the Ultimate
Weird But True Kids’ Book will keep your
youngster’s attention from cover to cover. In “bite-size” stories, kids learn
that it really can rain frogs, that a great white shark can weigh as much as 15
gorillas, and so much more. Ages 8-12. $19.95. National Geographic catalog.
888-225-5647, www.shopng.org.
These kids are the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys of the 21st
century. The Club CSI Series will keep
your middle schooler guessing and turning pages until the mysteries are solved.
After a group of students become interested in forensic science in their
classroom, they form Club CSI and investigate crimes and capers at their
school. Grades 6-8. Hardcover $15.99 each. Paperback $5.99 each. amazon.com,
barnesandnoble.com.
This story of aliens will have your youngsters giggling from
page to page. Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort introduces kids to some
loveable extraterrestrials who come to earth solely for the purpose of stealing
earthling underpants. The book is written in verse with colorful illustrations
and comes with a fun, plush alien doll dressed in, what else? Underpants!
$27.95. Young Explorers catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
Hallmark has launched a new series of books called “Be a
Part of the Story.” As you read these books with your child, he can chat with
the main character. The technology enables the characters to ask a special
question when highlighted lines are read. When your child answers, the
character responds, and the story continues. Titles include A Visit to the
North Pole, A Day at Fairy
Grandmother’s, and All Aboard. $24.95 each. Hallmark Stores. www.hallmark.com.
Your child will be pleased with any one of a number of Recordable
Storybooks from Hallmark. As their name implies, these books allow a parent,
grandparent, or other special adult to read and record the story which will
then play back for the youngster as the pages are turned—a great idea for
working or traveling parents, distant grandparents, or military service members
away from home. Choose from these titles: All I Want for Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Very First Christmas or La Primera Navidad, Jingle’s Magic Christmas, The Night Before Christmas, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. $29.95 each. Hallmark Stores. www.hallmark.com.
Music & Movie Magic
Your preschooler will enjoy all the adventures of Peter
Rabbit with The Beatrix Potter Collection 3-DVD Set, a screen translation of Potter’s works produced in
association with the BBC. Pastel animation brings Peter and friends to life
with all the tales you remember so well from your childhood. Oh my, the
mischievious little bunny is still attracted to Mr. McGregor’s garden! Ages
3-6. $34.95. Cricket catalog. 800-821-0115, www.cricketmag.com.
Now your little one can enjoy all the fun with Buddy the
T.Rex and his adoptive family of Pteranodons anytime she wants with the Dinosaur
Train: Big, Big, Big DVD from Jim Henson
Company, PBS Kids, and Paramount Home Entertainment. Buddy and his siblings
travel back to the Jurassic Period on the dinosaur train for eight exciting
adventures that bring dinosaurs to life and make science fun for your
youngster. Ages 3-up. $12.99. amazon.com.
Dreams can come true and
Christmas dreams are twice as sweet.
A Princess for Christmas, a new holiday film from Lionsgate Home Entertainment, shares the
fairytale of an ordinary young woman from Buffalo, guardian to her mischievious
niece and nephew, who gets swept away for the holidays to Europe to visit her
long-lost royal family. Together she and the children turn the prim and proper
castle into a lively place full of merriment and love. And oh yes, there is a
prince charming in her future! All ages. $14.98. amazon.com.
Who knew Santa and Mrs.
Claus had a daughter?? Well, they do, and in Hallmark Channel’s Annie Claus
is Coming to Town it’s time for Annie
Claus to leave the North Pole to see the world. She makes the trip to sunny
California, where she meets some new friends and spreads Christmas cheer. Santa
though is worried about the man she will choose to marry and bring home to take
over the affairs of the North Pole. Two suitors are in the running, and only
Annie can make the decision with the fate of Christmas hanging in the balance.
All ages. $14.98. amazon.com.
Ignite the Imagination
This is a great idea—tying building block fun in with
reading, in the LEGO DUPLO Read and Build Sets. As you read the board book, your tot will enjoy building along with
the narrative, creating the characters he hears about in the story. There are
three sets to choose from: Grow Caterpillar Grow!, Busy Farm, and Let’s Go!
Vroom! Ages 1 1/2 -up. $12.99 each. Toys R Us, amazon.com.
Mr. Potato Head has certainly evolved from your childhood
and mine. Now your youngster can play with Mr. Potato Head the Amazing
Spider-Man Spider Spud, dressed in a
Spider-Man outfit, of course, and Mr. Potato Head Star Wars Darth
Tater, complete with black helmet, mask,
and cape, as well as the infamous red lightsaber. Hard to believe, but the
original Mr. Potato Head is celebrating his 60th birthday! Ages 2-up. $9.99
each. Toys R Us, amazon.com, hasbrotoyshop.com.
Space adventures are endless for your youngster with the 2
in 1 Space Rocket Play Set. This colorful
rocket includes a detachable upper capsule, NASA logo, hatches that open and
close, two astronauts, a moon buggy, and even three aliens to capture or fly
home to their own planets. Push the button, and hear the countdown and the
engines roar. Ages 3-up. $65. Smithsonian catalog. 800-322-0344, www.smithsonianstore.org.
Kids’ creations are unlimited with Imaginets, colorful magnetic pieces in all shapes and sizes
that will adhere to the magnetic dry-erase surface on the inside of their
wooden carrying case. Your youngster will be learning about color, shapes,
proportion, and more as he creates with the pieces and draws backgrounds for
his designs. Set includes 42 wooden blocks, 50 design challenges, and the
carrying case. Ages 3-up. $29.95. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 800-468-7386,
www.store.metmuseum.org.
Hopefully you won’t hear them hiss or roar, but your kids
are bound to squeal with delight when they put the Mouth Man Hooded Tees on, wrap their arms around themselves, and see the
creatures they have created. These long-sleeved tees come in seven screen-printed
designs—dragon, cobra, tiger, tree frog, raptor, shark, and t-rex—on 100%
quick-dry sport fabric. When your youngster folds his arms across his chest and
moves them up and down, the animal’s jaws come to life. Sizes 4T, 6, 8, 10.
$29.98. HearthSong catalog. 800-325-2502, hearthsong.com.
Building and re-building the Build-Your-Own City will give your youngster hours of fun. This set of
150 pieces includes ramps to zoom down, working lifts, and even a construction
site with crane. The pieces snap together easily for endless “urban renewal.”
Six vehicles and building instructions are included. The perfect town for those
Matchbox and Hotwheels cars. Ages 4-12. $49.99. Toys to Grow On catalog.
800-987-4454, www.ttgo.com.
Your young aspiring pilot will have hours of fun with the Aircraft
Carrier Playset. The carrier is 31-inches
long and has such cool features as a working elevator, jet-blast deflectors,
and a control tower. It comes with four die-cast metal jets. Ages 5-12. $29.90.
Toys to Grow On catalog. 800-987-4454, www.ttgo.com.
All sorts of critters will come to live at your house when
your children build with the Crazy Creatures Gear Set. The set includes 115 colorful pieces from springy
extensions, to buggy eyes, to lots of gears, as well as a motor that will bring
the whole creation to life. Ages 6-up. $39.95. Young Explorers catalog.
800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
With the LEGO Friends Adventure Camper, your child will have lots of summertime fun when
the winter winds blow. The side of the camper opens and the roof lifts. Inside
she’ll find sleeping bunks and even a flat screen TV. Friends Olivia and Nicole
are enjoying bike riding and picnicking by the campfire. Ages 6-up. $29.99.
Target, Toys R Us, Walmart, amazon.com.
Your youngster can create a robot like no other with the Tin
Can Robot Kit. All you need to supply is a
soda can, and the kit will turn it into a walking, wobbling, googly-eyed robot.
A fun project for you to do together. Ages 8-up. $15.98. HearthSong catalog.
800-325-2502, hearthsong.com.
Getting Crafty
This bead project is so easy and so much fun. The AquaBeads
Power Pen features a pen dispenser with
color wheel loaded with brightly colored beads. Your youngster just clicks the
wheel to select a bead, puts it in place on the workstation included in the
kit, and repeats the process until the picture is complete. Then, just a
misting with water will make the beads magically stick together—no heat
necessary. The kit comes with 300 colorful beads—enough for a host of projects.
Ages 4-up. $21.95. Young Explorers catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
These dinosaurs can be as playful or ferocious as your child
pleases when he paints the Design-Your-Own Dinos. This variety of six little dinos are about three-inches in height and
made of smooth, sturdy plaster fashioned from recycled paper. The kit includes
two brushes, 18 paints, and a finishing glaze. Ages 4-10. $19.99. Toys to Grow
On catalog. 800-987-4454, www.ttgo.com.
Trace-N-Draw Projector makes
drawing easy for your young artist. He chooses a slide, inserts it in the
device, and traces a perfect outline for coloring or painting. There are over
80 images—dinosaurs to fire trucks! Projector comes with six rotating slides,
lightbulbs, pencil, and paper. Ages 5-12. $19.99. Additional set of 12 slides
available at $6.99. Toys to Grow On catalog. 800-987-4454, www.ttgo.com.
Only their imaginations will limit the characters they will
become when your youngsters delve into the Make-Your-Own Mask kit. Your home will be visited by pirates, queens,
lions, and almost any creature you can think of. The portable handled kit
contains ten sturdy mask forms with elastic cords, cutouts, pom-poms, feathers,
fringed paper, and double-stick tape—205 pieces in all. Ages 5-up. $18.95. MindWare
catalog. 800-999-0398, mindware.com.
Kids will have a great time creating colorful pictures, and
moms will appreciate the mess-free aspect of the Crayola Wonder Light Up
Paint Palette. Wonder Paints are clear—the
color only appears on the special Color Wonder paper, not on clothing, drawing
surfaces, or even hands. The kit includes a light-up base unit, brush, six
different paint colors, and 20 pages of paper. Ages 5-up. $24.99. Toys R Us,
amazon.com.
The little girl in your life will enjoy this craft and look
beautiful in the process with the Happy Headbands Kit. The kit includes eight satin and two stretchy
headbands and all the trimmings to make them tres chic! Whether bows, bejeweled
flowers, pom-poms or ribbons, she’ll have enough embellishments to match a
different outfit every day of the week. Best of all, no gluing is
involved—accessories just wrap, slide and layer, making it easy to create and
re-create the perfect look for any occasion. Ages 6-up. $29.95. Young Explorers
catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
The perfect spot for all your child’s special keepsakes—a
shadowbox. The Scrapbook Shadowbox Kit
provides a sturdy wooden box and lots of craft items to decorate and
personalize it, including paper flowers and designs, scrapbook paper, ribbons,
stick-on gems, stencils, glitter, and stickers. Markers, glue, and scissors are
also included. She’ll be delighted with the message bottle and metal lock and
key charms also in the kit. Ages 6-9. $24.95. Cricket catalog. 800-821-0115,
www.cricketmag.com.
Encourage your youngster to design greeting cards, and yes,
thank-you notes, for friends and family with the Make-Your-Own Cards Kit. The kit includes 20 envelopes, 20 blank cards in
seven colors, and more than 500 colorful pop-out shapes to create endless
unique designs. Ages 6-9. $19.95. Cricket catalog. 800-821-0115,
www.cricketmag.com.
For a new twist on “paint by number,” offer your child the Colored
Sand: Birds of Paradise Art by Numbers Kit.
He or she can bring the four pre-printed images of exotic birds to life using
the 12 individual pots of colorful sand. Best of all, there is little mess as
the sand is applied to the picutre right in the storage box. As each color is
completed, the excess sand can be siphoned back into its storage pot. Ages 6-9.
$17.95. Cricket catalog. 800-821-0115, www.cricketmag.com.
Your little girl will be right in style wearing the new
scarf or belt she fashions herself with the Romantic Scarf Kit. Along with a detailed instruction booklet and
loom, the kit includes ribbon yarn, feather yarn, crochet hook, three colors of
thread, beads, gems, and enough yarn to make one scarf or two belts. Ages 8-up.
$19.98. HearthSong catalog. 800-325-2502, hearthsong.com.
Kids love to make and share friendship bracelets, and the Loopdedoo
Bracelet Maker makes it easier than ever.
The special twisting tool allows them to twist, wrap, and loop color combos
into thick or thin bracelets in minutes. They can also create necklaces,
anklets, and belts. Along with the twisting tool, the kit includes 18 skeins of
embroidery thread and detailed instructions. Ages 8-up. $34.98. HearthSong
catalog. 800-325-2502, hearthsong.com.
Your youngster will decorate everything from pencils and
pens, to stationery, fashion accessories, and even cell phones and school
lockers with the Tapefitti Tape Art Tote
from Fashion Angels. The 12 rolls of repositionable and removable Tapeffiti
come in a wide array of colors and patterns. Ages: tweens. $11.99.
www.fashionangels.com, www.target.com.
Get in the Game
Intended for the littlest members of the family, the Little
Balancing Game can be enjoyed by everyone.
Wobbly frogs teeter on lily pads over the pond, trusting the players to balance
them perfectly. With each round of play, the stacks, and the stakes, get
higher. Play can be modified for any age group. Ages infant-3. $19.95. Cricket
catalog. 800-821-0115, www.cricketmag.com.
You won’t want to be the one to make the stack fall in the Don’t
Let the Bugs Fall! Game. Kids will enjoy
stacking the colorful bug blocks. Players roll the die to select a color and
then must pull a matching bug from the stack and place it on top—all while
keeping the tower upright. Not easy, but lots of fun for two to four players.
Ages 3-up. $9.99. Toys to Grow On catalog. 800-987-4454, www.ttgo.com.
Toss a ball at this
target, and you’ll get a whole lot of sass back! The Annoying Orange Fresh
Talking Target Game features a sturdy
target board to hang almost anywhere and six balls for target practice. But
beware! Annoying Orange and his Kitchen Crew will challenge your play with
heckles and funny jokes. Talk about annoying!!! Ages 4-up. $21.99. Toys R Us.
Lots of laughs are sure to erupt when the kids play the When
Pigs Fly Game. Be the first to
successfully launch all your porkers and win the game. Included are a spinning
game board with canopy sky, and 12 little piggies. Ages 5-up. $34.95. Young
Explorers catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
Spot It! is a
different take on familiar matching card games. The round Spot It! cards
contain multiple everyday items. But there is one, and only one, matching item
between any two cards. The first player to spot the match wins the round. The
player with the most rounds, wins the game. Ages 6-up. $12.95. Spot
It! Jr. Animals features a variety of
animals on the game cards waiting to be paired up. Ages 4-up. $10.95. MindWare
catalog. 800-999-0398, mindware.com.
A version of the familiar Rubik’s cube, Rubik’s Race pits player against player in an attempt to match
the pattern on the scrambler. The first one to do so wins. Ages 7-up. $14.99.
amazon.com, toyrus.com, kohls.com, hasbro.com.
Your family will be proud to be American, especially if they
can pull off a win at the American Trivia Board Game Family Edition. The game poses more than 2,000 questions in four
categories—geography, history, arts, and general knowledge. Your children will
be learning as they meet the challenge of this game. Ages 9-up. $34.95. Young
Explorers catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
Perfect for family game night, 5 Second Rule “Just Spit
It Out!” challenges players to name three
of something in just five seconds. Can you name three breeds of dogs in five
seconds? Sounds easy, but under pressure it may not be. Perfect for parties
too. Game includes 576 questions on 288 cards, a 5-second twisted marble timer,
and of course, rules. Ages 10-up. $14.95. The Lakeside Collection catalog.
847-444-3150, www.lakeside.com.
Not your grandfather’s hide and seek! Hide-&-See
Safari features either a plastic monkey or
tiger to hide. The seekers use a “Magic Seeker Wand” to find the jungle animal.
The wand lights up if the player is getting closer to the quarry or farther
away. The set includes the monkey or tiger and two wands. Additional wands are
available. All ages. $36.95. Additional wands $21.95 set of two. Young
Explorers catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
It’s a Puzzlement
Here’s a geography lesson that will have your child on the
floor, piecing together all 50 states. The USA Map Floor Puzzle features colorful soft, chunky puzzle pieces in the
shapes of all the states, just waiting to be connected one to another. The back
of each piece shows the location of the state capital and other significant
landmarks. Ages 3-up. $29.95. MindWare catalog. 800-999-0398, mindware.com.
Tangoes from Smart
Toys and Games are based on ancient Chinese Tangram puzzles that combine
artistic and mathematical elements for hours of fun. Seven puzzle pieces can
form an infinite number of designs, including human and animal figures and
everyday objects. Just draw a card and arrange the pieces in the pattern you
see there. Fun for one, two, or teams of players. Ages 5-up. $9.99-up.
www.smarttangoes.com.
Bendit, a unique puzzle game, offers 60 engrossing
challenges that will keep players occupied for hours. The game offers the
solution to your challenge of choice—it’s up to you to look for color patterns
to determine which balls are connected and how, by bending all the puzzle
pieces and clicking them into new positions. Quite the challenge! Ages 7-up.
$14.99. amazon.com.
We fear there may be some competition among the members of
your family, even the adults, to get their hands on the Sudoku Puzzle Game. The sturdy wooden puzzle board is accompanied by
81 colorful marbles to place in groups of nine—no pencil or eraser needed.
Great for teaching the kids about deductive reasoning, strategy, and the
process of elimination. Ages 8-up. $19.98. HearthSong catalog. 800-325-2502,
hearthsong.com.
Reveal the fiery orange dragon as you work on The
Dragon’s Castle Puzzle. You’ll also find
his impressive castle as well as a brave knight ready to challenge him. This
54-piece puzzle is just right for smaller hands to piece together. All ages.
$15.95. Cricket catalog. 800-821-0115, www.cricketmag.com.
Learning Fun
Your youngster can join
Scout and his friends in two adventures with the LeapFrog: Gift of Learning
2-DVD and Scout Plush Set. Included are
LeapFrog: Scout & Friends Phonics Farm, in which Scout, Violet, Eli, and
Penny take their magical toy car to a farm, discover a remarkable alphabet
collection, and enjoy lots of ABC antics; LeapFrog: Scout & Friends Number
Land, in which Scout and his buddies travel again by magical toy car to Number
Land where they meet the residents, attend a surprise birthday party, and build
early number skills. The set also includes a cuddly, plush Scout. Ages 2-up.
$29.98. Best Buy.
One of your little one’s favorite friends, Ready for
School Elmo from Playskool, teaches her a
host of new skills. She can begin to develop fine motor skills with the
zippers, snaps, and fasteners on his clothing, while exploring colors, shapes,
and more. Elmo sings the ABC song and a numbers song for more learning fun.
Ages 2-up. $29.99. Target, amazon.com, hasbrotoyshop.com.
Your kids will be world
travelers with a subscription to the Little Passports USA and World Edition kits. The USA Discovery Kit includes a letter from
travel guides Sam and Sofia, a wall-sized USA map, field guide, scratch book,
disposable camera, and photo scavenger hunt. Each month your children will
receive a travel journal packed with 32 pages of activities themed around two
different states, a 3D pop-up model of a state landmark, state stickers,
postcards, and a letter from Sam and Sofia. They will also receive a code to
access games, activities, facts, and printable images online at the Little
Passports website. The World Edition begins with the Explorer Kit, a
mini-suitcase with a letter from Sam and Sofia, a wall-sized world map, a
passport to personalize, travel stickers, activity sheets, and a code to Little
Passports’ online Boarding Zone. Each month kids will receive a new country
pack, Sam and Sofia’s latest letter, a country souvenir, postcard, stickers,
activity sheets, and an online code. 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month
subscriptions available. 12-month subscription, $10.95 per month plus shipping.
www.littlepassports.com.
Just for Tweens
Keep those precious toes warm and cozy with fuzzy [wuzzy]
ballerina skimmers. These soft, furry slippers
come in lots of cool, colorful
patterns. A great place to keep her feet on cold winter nights. $5. Five Below
stores. www.fivebelow.com.
Keeping track of the time is just one reason for sporting
this wristwatch. The six-color transparent color wheel disc revolves around the
matching face of the Color Magic Watch,
creating a blend of colors in 60 variations per minute, making this watch
fascinating to “watch.” The clear band further enhances the color changes. $45.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 800-468-7386, www.store.metmuseum.org.
Any little girl will be thrilled with the Wildly Cute
Wildlife Pendants featuring a host of wild
animals from which to choose. Styles vary, but the necklaces may sport
hand-painted enameling, crystals, or stones; all come with a 16-inch chain and
are cradled in a soft velour box. Choose from panda, ladybug, koala, dolphin,
turtle, fish, frog, flamingo, or lion. $9.99 each. National Wildlife Federation
catalog. 800-756-3752, www.shopnwf.org.
Kids in the Kitchen
Your youngsters will be cooking up all kinds of fun and
delicious food in the kitchen with the Playful Chef Kit, featuring five age-appropriate laminated recipe
cards, five child-sized cooking tools, an apron with pockets, color-coded
measuring spoons and cups, a baking pan, mixing bowl, and timer, as well as
lessons in kitchen safety, science, measuring, nutrition, seasonings, and
clean-up. You might even want to add a host of additional recipes with the Playful
Chef Cookbook especially for kids. It’s
never too early to have the kids helping out in the kitchen. Ages 3-6, 6-9.
Chef Kit: $39.95. Cookbook: $14.95. MindWare catalog. 800-999-0398,
mindware.com.
Is it science? Or is it cooking? Maybe it’s both! With the Candy
Factory kit, kids can make chocolates,
caramels, hard candy, gummy shapes, and more as they learn all about the
science of candy. The kit includes an illustrated experiment manual with 25
recipes and info on the biology of taste, chemistry of sugar, and history of
candy; a thermometer, spatula, stirring and dipping tools, molds, cutters,
wrappers, and lollipop sticks. Ages 10-up. $39.95. MindWare catalog.
800-999-0398, mindware.com.
It’s Electric! Electronics for All Ages
Just for fun, your youngster will enjoy changing the tone of
her voice with the Voice Changer. Three
different settings allow her to sound like a robot, an alien, or a space
traveler. It is encased in colorful, clear plastic so that she can actually see
how the device works. Ages 3-up. $19.95. National Geographic catalog.
888-225-5647, www.shopng.org.
The Electronic Chatimals Talking Hamster is a noisy, furry little fellow that is sure to
delight your children. They just press his paw, wait for the red light, say
anything that’s on their minds, and hear their chatter repeated in a hilarious,
random critter voice, including in silly squeaky hamster talk. Ages 4-up.
$29.95. Young Explorers catalog. 800-239-7577, youngexplorers.com.
They’ll be making music in no time with the Sing with Me
CD Player. Your child can sing along with
a favorite CD using the working mike, or have a friend join her using the dual
microphone feature. For quiet times, she may just want to listen to her
favorite tunes. Ages 4-12. $39.99. Toys to Grow On catalog. 800-987-4454,
www.ttgo.com.
Your child will have complete command of Rapid-fire Robot at the touch of his handheld controller. He’ll have
a great time ordering the robot to walk forward and backward, turn left and
right, travel into another room, talk, dance, and launch soft foam disks into
the air. Ages 5-up. $39.95. National Geographic catalog. 888-225-5647,
www.shopng.org.
The moon and stars are at your youngster’s fingertips with
the Interactive “Laptop” Planetarium.
She can explore the solar system and glean thousands of facts about the sun,
the planets and their moons. Ages 5-up. $34.95. National Geographic catalog.
888-225-5647, www.shopng.org.
No doubt you’ll find this arachnid a little creepy, but we
bet your youngster will love the Remote Controlled Tarantula. It moves its fuzzy body forward, backward, and in
a 360-degree spin on eight furry legs. Its eyes light up, making it especially
frightening when it appears to unsuspecting friends and family. Ages 6-up.
$29.95. Hammacher Schlemmer catalog. 800-543-3366, hammacher.com.
Inspired by the Disney
Pixar movie “Brave,” in Brave: The Video Game players become Merida and other popular characters from the film as
they play through the landscape of mythical Scotland, utilize their wits and
bravery against fierce enemies to end a magical curse, and save the kingdom.
Ages 10-up. $24.99-$29.99. Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PC/Mac. amazon.com, target.com.
The Skylanders are back this holiday season with Skylanders
Giants, their latest video game adventure
featuring the debut of 16 new characters, new technology, returning favorites
with new powers, and new playgrounds to explore. The Starter Pack (Wii, Xbox
360, PS3, 3DS) at $74.99 includes the video game, a portal of power, three
Skylander figures, one poster, three sticker sheets, and three trading cards.
The Portal Owners Pack (Wii, Xbox 360, PS3) at $59.99 includes the video game,
one Skylander figure, and one each poster, sticker sheet, and trading card.
Ages 10-up. Toys R Us, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, amazon.com.
Kids can tag along with
Mickey Mouse in two exciting video game adventures. In Disney Epic Mickey 2:
The Power of Two, players become Mickey
and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as they visit Wasteland, a world full of forgotten
Disney characters and theme park attractions. All ages. $39.99-$59.99. Wii, Xbox
360, PS3, PC. Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion pays tribute to the classic Sega Genesis title
“Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse” and focuses on the Castle which has
fallen into Wasteland. Players become Mickey, exploring the Castle of Illusion
on a mission to stop the evil deeds of the wicked witch Mizrabel. All ages.
$39.99. Nintendo 3DS. amazon.com, target.com.
Your youngster can enter
an enchanted world filled with Disney princesses playing Disney Princess: My
Fairytale Adventure. Players become an
apprentice to the Fairy Godmother and explore the worlds of Cinderella,
Rapunzel, Ariel, Belle, and Tiana. All ages. $29.99-$39.99. Wii, DS, PC/Mac.
amazon.com, target.com.
Everyone will enjoy stretching and pinging To-Fu as he tries
to become the “Master of Chi” in the new game To-Fu Collection. There are 200 trials for To-Fu to complete,
including unique surfaces and booby-traps, as he tries to reach the Fortune
Kitty exit. All ages. $19.99. Nintendo. amazon.com.
Stocking Stuffers
Kind of creepy, but lots of fun, these Eye Pop Dinosaurs get bug-eyed when your youngster gives them a good
squeeze. Just 2 1/2-inches tall, these colorful squishy dinos come in a set of
four. Ages 5-up. $19.98 the set. HearthSong catalog. 800-325-2502, hearthsong.com.
Dress up their sneakers with these Light Up Shoelaces. LED lights feature three settings—constant glow,
blink, or slow flash—and come with replaceable batteries for up to 70 hours of
light. Each set comes with two 30-inch laces in green, blue, pink, or red. Ages
6-up. $12.98. Hearth Song catalog. 800-325-2502, hearthsong.com.
Light up their fingertips in Light-Up Gloves, white sequined gloves with LED lights built right
in. The gloves feature six settings of multi-function flashing, three-color lights.
They’ll have a great time dancing in the dark sporting these gloves. Ages 6-up.
$19.98. HearthSong catalog. 800-325-2502, hearthsong.com.
These dot-to-dot drawings are very intricate but loads of
fun. Extreme Dot to Dot Books will keep
your child occupied for hours. After connecting 500 to over 1,400 dots, she
will enjoy coloring them in with special Chisel-Tip Markers that handle broad coverage and fine detail with
ease. Book titles include Extreme Animals, Legends & Lore, Around the USA,
Around the World, Prehistoric, Sports, and more. A great way to exercise both
sides of her brain! Ages 8-up. Books: $8.95 each, 3 for $19.95. Markers: $5.95.
MindWare catalog. 800-999-0398, mindware.com.
Here’s a 21st-century way to communicate—Hallmark Text
Bands. This nifty little gadget looks like
a wristwatch. Kids enter up to 10 characters onto the screen, and when they
meet a friend with a text band, a fist bump or high five will transfer messages
between the two youngsters. $14.99. Hallmark Stores. www.hallmark.com.
Gifts that Give Back
Help save a child’s life when you present your child with
the Boogie Monster Book Set. A portion
of your purchase will go toward UNICEF’s campaign to aid children all around
the world. This interactive storybook includes a CD of dance tunes to get the
toes tapping. Best of all, it comes with furry, slip-on “monster legs” to make
the dancing even more fun. Ages 3-up. $30. UNICEF Holiday catalog.
800-553-1200, www.unicefusa.org/shop.
Your kids will love decorating their backpacks and keeping
track of their house keys with these adorable Animal Buddy Keychains from the World Wildlife Fund. Surface-washable, the
critters come with cool messages about our planet. Choose from the following
pairs: giraffe/elephant, alligator/shark, turtle/penguin, African wild dog/tree
frog, panda/tiger. Your purchase will help in the general support of worldwide
conservation efforts. $25/pair. 800-CALL-WWF, worldwildlife.org/gifts.
Symbolically adopt an animal, and you’ll be helping to protect America’s wildlife and their
habitats, as well as encouraging your child’s love of nature. The National
Wildlife Federation has three “adoption” plans to choose from: the $20 Adoption
provides a certificate of adoption, and an 11”x14” poster of your adopted friend;
the $30 Adoption adds a plush animal “twin” of your adopted friend to the basic
plan; the $50 Adoption adds a photo calendar magnet of your adopted animal to
the $30 plan. Free shipping is included in all plans. Choose from a host of
favorite animals, from the alligator to the white-tailed deer and just about
everything in between. 800-756-3752, www.shopnwf.org.
These cuddly stuffed friends do so much more than just
provide friendship and comfort for your child. Gertie the plush goat and Chuma the plush chick help the World Vision organization fight poverty in
nearly 100 countries, including the U.S. For your donation of just $25 either
Gertie or Chuma will arrive on your doorstep to befriend your youngster. All
ages. World Vision Gift Catalog. 888-511-6511, worldvisiongifts.org.
Purchase a toy from the
IKEA Soft Toys for Education campaign and help educate children around the
world. IKEA donates one euro ($1.35) per purchase to such organizations as
UNICEF and Save the Children. Choose from a host of stuffed animals, finger
puppets, and books in all IKEA stores and online. All ages. $.49-$19.99.
ikea.com.
From a workshop in the Holy Land comes this unique Hand-Carved
Nativity. Carved from olive wood, the set
includes Mary, Baby Jesus, Joseph, shepherd, cow, donkey, and sheep. No two
sets are alike. You’ll be helping to make life easier for disadvantaged
children around the world. $45. UNICEF Holiday catalog. 800-553-1200,
www.unicefusa.org/shop.
Shopping Tips!
Bargain Hunter’s Websites
You’ll find coupons, great deals and savings on clothing for
the whole family, toys, electronics, sporting goods, and much more, from scores
of companies, including Barnes and Noble, The Gap, JC Penney, Nordstrom, Old
Navy, Toys R Us, Banana Republic, Bath & Body Works, Kohl’s, Walmart, Bed
Bath & Beyond, Babies R Us, amazon.com, and hundreds more. Carve out a half hour or more, and sit
down to browse these comprehensive websites loaded with bargains.
Don’t overlook Facebook, where businesses often offer
special deals to members on their pages, and Twitter, where you’ll find coupons
from popular retailers.
Smart Holiday Spending
Having looked over this vast array of gifts, is your head
spinning? Are you wondering where to begin?
The folks at Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc.,
a nonprofit educational credit counseling and debt management organization,
have some practical advice in their “Holiday Survival Guide.” You can download
a free copy of the guide online at
www.ConsolidatedCredit.org/booklets/holidaysurvivalguide.pdf. Here is just a
brief summary with a few tips, hints, and warnings from CCCS to keep in mind.
·Begin your shopping by making a holiday giving budget,
and do your best to stick to it. You may want to ask adult family members to
set spending limits on gifts or to consider drawing names for giving. Let your
youngsters know that there is a budget for their gifts, and ask them to
prioritize their wish list. You might want to give them gift cards for some of
the items on their lists and hit the mall after the holiday for great bargains.
·Before setting out to shop, make a list of those you are
buying for, with possible gift purchases, each marked with a dollar limit.
Check newspapers, catalogs, and ads to determine where you need to go to buy
and which stores have the best prices on the items on your list. Start your
shopping early enough so that there is plenty of time to comparison shop.
·Keep track of how much you’ve spent. And remember,
things like taxes, gift wrap, postage, and shipping all add up – budget for
them also.
·Consider using cash in lieu of credit. Decide how much
you want to spend and take just that amount of money with you shopping. Or use
debit cards or your checkbook.
·If you decide to use plastic, use no more than two
credit cards – one with a low rate for any purchases that you may need to pay
for over a period of time. CCCS recommends that you keep in mind “…you are the
best judge of what you can comfortably manage. Just because you have a certain
amount of credit available, doesn’t mean you should use all of it between
Thanksgiving and New Years. REMEMBER: Never borrow more than you can reasonably
pay off. Giving gifts should be a gesture, not a sacrifice.”
·If you are shopping online, use credit cards. If you’re
scammed, you generally are not responsible for any more than $50. Shop at
companies you’re familiar with. And most importantly when you enter the
shopping cart or the e-commerce area of a site, remember that secure servers
show “shttp” or “https” instead of simply “http” at the beginning of their
website’s address or URL. Don’t include credit card information or personal
information like social security numbers in an email - legitimate shopping
websites use special forms. Stay away from unsolicited email offers as they are
often scams.
With a lot of planning and a little common sense, your
holiday shopping can be a pleasurable prelude to the delight of the season.
